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Checklist Step 9: Now That I See It, What Will I Do?

Plato's point was not only to see but to go back into the cave for the others (Republic 519d–520a). Seeing the record and doing nothing is a different problem; it has its own pages on the black horse and the chariot. This step is the list of lawful actions.

This week

• Call your two senators and your representative at the Capitol switchboard, 202-224-3121. Ask how they voted on the Iran war powers resolutions (the Senate failed 49–50 on 24 September 2026), whether they will cut funding for ground operations, and whether they will vote to repeal automatic draft registration. Details: Calls and Letters to Congress.
• Ask them in writing: "Is it the position of the United States that it entered this war at Israel's request?" (the legal opinion).

This month

• Ask your school district how it notifies parents of the recruiter opt-out, and use it (20 U.S.C. 7908; School Boards).
• Ask your state legislator about a Defend the Guard bill (State Legislators).

Before 3 November 2026

• Know where every candidate stands on the war, ground troops, automatic registration, and a draft (Voting in the Midterms).

Before December 2026

• If your son holds a conscientious objection, document it now (Conscientious Objection).
• Share this checklist with one other parent. That is going back into the cave.

Always

• Lawfully and without violence. Every parents' movement that changed a war did it that way (Why Never Violence).

If you go back to "nothing is happening"

That is human, and Plato expected it. Write down which step you stopped at and what document would change your mind. See Back to the Wall.

Sources

• Plato, Republic VII, trans. Jowett
• 20 U.S.C. 7908

Related Areas

• Step 8
• Step 1
• Back to the wall

• Standing up without violence
• Parents who organized before
• Shortest reading list for parents

Last Updated: 2026-09-26